Yesterday we remembered the nine-year anniversary of Aaliyah’s death and Young Money’s Drake also took a moment to reflect on the “Rock the Boat” singer. 

Drake has always shown his love to Aaliyah in interviews. He told BET.com, “I loved Aaliya’s words, I love her sounds I was very attracted to her….I’m going to talk about real life emotions and I just always felt like that’s what Aaliyah did so well. I miss her, I wish she was here.” Of course he also gave a nod to her music by sampling her voice for his collab with Young Jeezy “Unforgettable.” Yesterday he honored the late singer with a letter he penned for Rap Radar: 

Dear Dana,

I’ve never lost a parent, a friend, or a lover but I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. I remember getting the news that you had passed and it connected with my heart like a clean shot from Muhammad Ali. I was crushed. Not only was I one of your biggest fans but I was truly in love with you. I loved the way you carried yourself, the way you dressed, the confidence with which you addressed passion and relationships in your music. I said to myself that even if we never met, I wanted a woman in my life just like you. I am pained that we will never get to connect now that music ended up being my career path. But you should know, we all listen to you everyday and we remain inspired and moved by all that you’ve given the world. I hope I make the right life choices so I can end up in heaven where I know you rest your head. I’ll continue to make music in your honor until the day we finally meet. Dinner’s on me!

Love you always and forever,

Drake

So sweet!  RIP “Baby Girl”

When you listen to “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” do you say to yourself, “This sounds so much like Timbaland?”

And when you saw Ciara bust out those splits earlier in the year to “Love, Sex, & Magic” did you immediately think of Aaliyah?

If your answer to each question is “no,” congratulations, we’re on the same page.

If not, that’s OK, you’re sharing Timbaland’s line of thinking.

The super producer recently

On Lady GaGa:

“What’s her name GaGa b-bla-bla? Yeah I wanna work with Lady GaGa, me and her are kinda the same style. I feel like she took my style (pauses) and ran with it… which is smart. I would do the same thing. I’ll put her on the re-package cos I’m a do a re-package”.

On Ciara:

There’s no more R&B, so all I listen to is “baby girl” (Aaliyah). I was excited about Ciara. I gave her my blessings because she was in the right footpath, the right footsteps as I would say. I think that she was going in the right direction and I love her to death. People would say “Oh Ciara is the next Aaliyah” – yes she is. She keeps my girl alive, so when I hear Ciara a tear come out my eye, coz I’m like “wow, she ain’t forgotten”.”

That sound is still gonna be heard. These kids who don’t know [and know] Ciara will go “Who she sound like? Baby girl Aaliyah” and then they go back and buy the Aaliyah stuff and be like “Aaliyah sound better than her” or somethin’. The point is Aaliyah won’t be forgotten”.

I still don’t see it, do you?

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